Predestination: More than you think.
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1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This was a common greeting of Paul to his readers. “Grace and peace” occurs in several places in the New Testament. This greeting occurs in every of Paul’s epistles. It is a common greeting.
Starting in Ephesians 1:3-10 , Paul begins one of three, rather long, run-on sentences, presenting how blessed the Christian is.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
The word for predestine is prooridzo and means “to come to a decision beforehard; to determine ahead of time.”
Notice that God is to be blessed (praised, adored, worshiped).
Why? Because he has blessed us.
He chose us.
Having predestined us… .
Three verbs right after one another.
Notice that the recipients of these blessings are Paul and his readers. It is as if Paul is walking the Ephesians through their own spiritual treasure house. And the believers in Ephesus probably had little if any knowledge of these things before Paul’s letter.
Another observation is the use of the term in, denoting a position.
In Christ;
In the heavenly places;
In Him;
through Jesus Christ.;
in the Beloved.
This brings up the (unnecessarily) controversial subject of predestination.
It is spoken of in many places, both directly and indirectly.
Jesus spoke of it in John 3:5-8 and John 6:37-45 in veiled terminology like being born again, drawn, and given to Christ by the Father. It is also described in places like Acts 13:48.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
In Ephesians 1, there is an economy or big picture of what God is doing by His grace. There is a gracious sequence operating.
We are elected by the Father (vss 3-6)
We are redeemed by the Son (vss 7-10);
We are sealed by the Holy Spirit (vss 11-14).
Paul would revisit the subject in Romans 8:28-30.
This is very similar to what the Puritan William Perkins coined: “The Golden Chain,” in Romans 8:28-30 .
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Notice the links in the chain:
Whom he foreknew, He predestined;
Whom he predestined, he called;
Whom He called, he justified;
Whom He justified, He glorified.
Whereas the object of the verb is plural in Ephesians 1, the testimony is personal in Ephesians 2:1-10.
Also, it is singular and personal in John 3 and 6.
No one can come (to Jesus), unless he is born again (from above).
No one can come (to Jesus), unless he is drawn.
What did others have to say on the subject?
Caspar Schwenckfeld
John Calvin
Martin Luther
Jim Orrick states:
“Some form of the word election or predestination appears around fifty times in the New Testament so you must believe something about the doctrine of election.” (Orrick, Mere Calvinism, 57).
Other places are as follows:
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Orrick also states: “Unconditional election presents us with a God who plans; conditional election presents us with a God who reacts.” (Orrick, 63)
In and of ourselves, there is nothing in us that can be good or respond to God’s goodness without His quickening Spirit.
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
What’s more is that no one prays with free will in mind. The elect are changed into holy men and women of God.
“In Scripture (predestination) is a pastoral doctrine, helping Christians to see how great is the grace that saves them, and moving them to respond with humility, confidence, and praise.” The New Geneva Study Bible, p. 1784
